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No
hiding in the green room
A private serenade in public
Friday, February 24, 2006
Paul M. Somers
New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, Neeme Järvi (conductor), Emanuel Ax (piano). Elgar: Introduction and Allegro for String Quartet and String Orchestra, op. 47; Tchaikovsky: Serenade for Strings in C major, op. 48; Brahms: Piano Concerto no. 1 in D minor, op. 15. Prudential Hall, NJPAC, Newark.
One of the most touching gestures this writer has seen on stage in awhile concluded the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra concert in which Emanuel Ax had played the Brahms Piano Concerto. To close the concert conductor Neeme Järvi motioned for Mr. Ax to sit at the piano but to face the orchestra. He then led the players in an Elgar's Salut d'amore, which was presented as a gift to the soloist.
That a goodly audience happened to be listening in was like an accident; perhaps after subsequent performances it felt more calculated, but for this opening concert of the series it was clearly a gift to a soloist who doesn't put on airs, one who takes his rehearsal break with the orchestra members and hangs out with them before the concert without hiding in the green room. In short
a performer who collaborates with his colleagues at all levels.No matter how transcendent he made the Piano Concerto No. 1, Ax always remained in touch with the humanity at the heart of Brahms. By reaching the extremes of expression checked only by his impeccable taste, the pianist brought to fruition a performance which by turns glittered, looked inward, reached thunderously toward heaven, and finally danced as an affirmation of life. Talk of technical matters can be important among musicians, but to listeners, while it was evident that Ax's fingers were in top form, that was hardly the point. It was the grand blending of artistic detail and broad sweep provided by a middle-aged man playing with youthful intensity that resulted in an instant standing ovation, not mere technical flash.
Ax often looked into the orchestra as he played, bringing a chamber musician's approach to the performance. The solo players responded in kind. Oboe, clarinet, and both horns 1 and 3 had wonderful interplay. As usual, Mæstro Järvi drew expressive playing from the orchestra by working within a framework of wide *dynamic range and then encouraging the players to make music.
The concert began with an attention-getter: Mozart's Contradance, K. 609, the one that is familiar as '"Non piú andrai" from Le nozze di Figaro and shows up again during Don Giovanni's final dinner, a piece which the Don disdains, having already praised pieces by other (lesser) composers. Mozart was apparently loath to have the unsavory Don like his music.
In this case it was used to settle the audience down before Robert Wagner, principal bassoonist and host for the evening, came out to interview Mr. Ax briefly. That this was not one of those horrible pre-planned things was immediately obvious. Ax gave thoughtful answers to questions, clearly thinking on his feet rather than parroting out some prepared answer. In response to a question about the rigors of touring, he responded, "You have to face a new piano every day, so you don't dare forget your 'instrument'." He pointed to his brain.
The concert began with Edward Elgar's *concerto grosso for strings, Introduction and Allegro for String Quartet and String Orchestra. While the most effective exposition of this interesting idea might be with the four quartet members sitting apart, the more usual setup with them sitting in their principal's chairs obtained. The performance was lucid and made clear its baroque ancestry.
The evergreen Serenade for Strings by Tchaikovsky was also in fine shape. Of course the orchestra's string section played it well; it is standard repertoire for any reputable (and some disreputable) string ensemble. It is rightly an audience favorite. But in this case the programming choice was clearly made to highlight the NJSO's Golden Age Strings.
Recently I was asked during a Q & A after a lecture whether the Golden Age Strings are really all that good. The questioner went on to point out all the controversy about the value of the instruments. So let me put in my two cents worth on the subject.
The collection's value as quoted is calculated in the same manner as that used on Antique Roadshow: each instrument is an artifact given its value as a specialized kind of antique. The actual musical value is no part of the calculation. Do the instruments sound better than the instruments owned by the NJSO players' Probably so, depending on what each player was playing before. One person given one of the collection's instruments said it was like suddenly having to learn how to drive a Ferrari: in principle it's the same as a Chevy, but it sure takes awhile to bring out everything in a Ferrari that you can't do with a Chevy. Now he's used to driving a musical Ferrari and knows how to get everything out of it. Does it make a difference' You bet it does! Or so the players say.